Patterning mechanism for knitting machines



Oct. 20, 1970 E. L. FARMER ETAL 3,534,566

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 20, 1970 E. L. FARMER ET 3,534,565

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 C FE C 2/ A L 5 0 2k a 7 .1 4 I I Oct. 20, 1970 FARMER EI'AL 3,534,566

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Oct. 20, 1970 FARMER ET AL 3,534,566

v PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 19, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Oflice Patented Oct. 20, 1970 3,534,566 PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Ernest L. Farmer, Leicester, and Alan P. Soundy, Great Bookham, England, assignors to Wildt Mellor Bromley Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Filed Nov. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 776,964 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 1, 1967, 54,725/ 67 Int. Cl. D04b /78 US. Cl. 66-50 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Knitting machine with needles, and jacks having extensions with butts thereon. Extensions are positionable outwardly to enable butts to be acted upon by a raising cam, and can also be pressed inwardly so that butts miss the cam. Adjacent the jacks are pressers fulcrumed between their ends. A placer cam acts on and swings outwardly the upper presser ends so that the lower ends press in the extensions. A permanent magnet temporarily holds these upper ends in their outwardly swung positions. A vibrator device, controlled by programming means functions to release selected pressers from the permanent magnet.

This invention relates to knitting machines, and has reference exclusively to such machines of the kind in which each of a set of individually operable needles in a bed is arranged to be advanced by a corresponding jack in the same needle trick or groove formed in the bed, the said jacks being furnished, below or to the rear of and below the needles, with an extension having a butt.

In such a knitting machine the extension of each jack can be held in an outward position, i.e. position wherein its butt protrudes from the needle bed so as to be in the path of a jack advancing cam whereby the jack and hence also the corresponding needle is advanced to a desired position; the said extension can also be pressed inwardly to withdraw its butt into the needle bed so that this butt, being buried and no longer protuberant, will fail to be acted upon by a jack advancing cam as a consequence of which the corresponding needle will not be advanced to the aforementioned position.

Thus, in a knitting machine of the kind defined in the two preceding paragraphs, the jacks may be friction jacks so that they can be positively displaced bodily both to elfect projection and also withdrawal of the butts on their extensions respectively from and into the tricks or grooves in the needle bed. Alternatively (and this is probably the more usual arrangement), each of the jacks may be of the spring type having a resilient extension which is normally held, by virtue of its inherent resilience, in an outwardly sprung position wherein its butt protrudes from the needle bed and which can be pressed inwardly against the spring influence to withdraw the butt. Or each of the jacks may be arranged to rock about a fulcrum point in the relevant trick or groove so that the jack extension can be caused to swing outwardly or inwardly according to patterning requirements.

Accoringly, and as well known to those acquainted with the art, by providing patterning means in association with the set of jacks it is possible to secure by selection a condition, in advance of a jack cam, such that the extensions of some of the jacks are pressed in so that their butts are withdrawn to miss the cam and the cor responding needles remain retracted, whereas the extensions of others of the jacks are either permitted to be, or are so moved as to be, in their out positions so that the relevant butts protrude from the needle bed and are acted upon by the said jack advancing cam as a result of which the corresponding needles will be advanced.

Although there is no limitation in this respect, the jack advancing cam is preferably a clearing cam located at a knitting station.

Moreover, it is principally the intention to apply the invention to a circular knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type. Broadly, however, the invention is also applicable both to V-bed and to purl flat knitting machines.

The object of the present invention is to provide, in a knitting machine of the kind herein referred to, an im proved, simple and efficient form of magnetic patterning means for selectively positioning the extensions of the jacks in advance of a jack raising cam.

According to this invention the jack extensions have mounted in front of them a corresponding set of indi vidual rocking pressers which are fulcrumed intermediate their opposite ends and are so arranged that whenever the appropriate ends thereof are rocked outwardly their opposite ends swing inwardly to press in the extensions of the jacks, and vice versa, and there are provided, in advance of a jack advancing cam, (a) placer means for action upon the rear edges of the said appropriate ends of the pressers for the purpose of rocking all of these ends outwardly seriatim, (b) means for temporarily holding the said presser ends in their outwardly rocking positions and (c) a vibrator device operable under the control of programming means to release predetermined ones of the individual pressers from the presser-holding means (b).

As will be appreciated, with the machine in operation, there has to be relative movement, circumferentially or longitudinally of the needle bed, between the vibrator device and the said bed, and there are essentially provided means potentially imparting to this device one pulse per rocking presser in the machine.

Accordingly, in the case of a circular knitting machine, the integers (a), (b) and (c) are positioned at appropriate stationary locations in relation to a rotary needle cylinder so that the rocking pressers in this cylinder pass by the vibrator device. In such a case there must therefore exist the possibility of imparting a pulse to the vibrator device each time a passing presser comes into line within, the programming means, however, excercising such control over the pulses that only predetermined ones of the pressers are hit by the vibrator device and released from the presser-holding means (b).

But in the case of a V-bed or a purl flat knitting machine, the needle bed equipped with the jacks and the rocking pressers is, of course, stationary and the integers (a), (b) and (c) are mounted on and move in company with the traversible cam carriage. Thus, in this alternative, the vibrator device moves past the pressers and, potentially, a pulse can be imparted to the moving vibrator device each time it coincides with a relatively stationary presser: in all other respects the construction, arrangement and operation are the same as in a circular knitting machine.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, one specific example thereof as applied to a multifeed circular knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of the head of the said machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the invention thereto, the jack extension being shown pressed in so that its butt misses the clearing cam,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to a part of FIG. 1 but with the jack extension iin its out, i.e. operative, position so that its butt will be acted upon by the clearing cam,

FIG. 3 is a detail elevational view, as seen from the outside of the rotary needle cylinder, illustrating aforementioned placer means, the means for temporarily holding the relevant ends of the pressers in their outwardly rocked positions and the vibrator device in advance of a feed,

FIG. 4 is a detail plan view as seen on the line IVIV of FIG. 1,

FIG. is a front elevational view of the programming means employed to control the vibrator devices in advance of the feeds, and

FIG. 6 is a part-sectional end view of the same as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 5.

Refering to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, the rotary needle cylinder of the machine is indicated at 1. This cylinder is formed therearound with needle tricks or grooves 2 in each of which is accommodated an independently operable latch needle 3 and also a jack 4 for controlling the same.

At 5 is indicated the conventional cylinder driving gear which is disposed beneath the middle bed 6 of the machine. The bed 6 is rabbetted at 6a to receive a support plate 7 to a flange 7a of which are attached clearing cams 8 (one in advance of each feed of the machine) for action upon selected jacks, according to patterning requirements.

The needles 3 are formed with operating butts 3a arranged to be acted upon the usual way by cams, such as 9, in a stationary annular cam box 10 which is mounted upon a support plate 11.

Each of the jacks 4 has a forwardly projecting step 4a upon which the lower end of the corresponding needle 3 can rest. The upper portion 411 of each jack, above the step 4a thereon, extends upwardly at the back of the needle (see FIG. 1), whereas, below this step, the jack, being of the spring type, is furnished with a downwardly extending resilient extension 4c having at its lower extremity a butt 4d. The resilient extension 46 of each jack 4 is normally held, by virtue of its inherent resilience, in an outwardly spring position wherein its butt 4d protrudes from the cylinder 1 so that it can be acted upon by clearing cam 8 as shown in FIG. 2. Each such extension 4c, however, is capable of being pressed inwardly against the spring influence to withdraw the butt 4d clear of a clearing cam 8 (see FIG. 1). As previously mentioned, the patterning means hereinafter to be described secure by selection a condition, in advance of each clearing cam 8, such that the extension 40 of some of the jacks are pressed in so that the corresponding needles 3 remain retracted, whereas the extensions of others of the jacks are permitted to be in their out positions so that the relevant butts 4d are acted upon by the said clearing cam as a result of which the corresponding needles will be elevated to clear.

In accordance with the present invention, the jack extensions 4c have mounted in front of them a corresponding set of individual rocking pressers such as that indicated at 12 in each of FIGS. 1 and 2. These pressers are fulcrumed at 13 intermediate their opposite ends, and are so arranged that whenever their upper ends 120 are rocked outwardly their lower ends 12b swing inwardly to press in the extensions 4c of the jacks 4, and vice versa. A common fulcrum ring 13 surrounds the cylinder 1 and has formed in its inner face a circumferential recess 13a of part-circular cross-section adapted to receive complementary fulcra such as 120 formed on the frontal or outer edges of the pressers 12.

In advance of the clearing cam 8 at each feed there are provided a stationary placer cam 14 for action upon the rear edges of the upper ends 12a of the pressers 12 for the purpose of rocking all of these ends outwardly seriatim; a permanent magnet 15 at a stationary location for temporarily holding these outwardly rocked upper ends 12a, and, also at a stationary location, a vibrator device 16 operable, under control, to release predetermined ones of the pressers 12 from the said permanent magnet.

The placer cam 14 is supported from beneath the cam box support plate 11 and, as will be more clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, is for the most part located in advance of the permanent magnet 15, behind the upper ends 12a of the pressers 12. The outer edge of the cam 14 is so contoured as to act on and cam these ends 12a outwardly on to the permanent magnet 15. The latter is of a strength such that its influence over a presser 12 can be broken by virtue of that presser being struck inwardly by the vi brator device 16.

The said vibrator device may advantageously consist of a pulsating electro-magnetic device including, as shown, a blade 17 having a nose 17a for contact with the frontal edges of the upper end 12a of pressers 12, and a shank 17b angularly disposed with respect to the said blade. The shank is pivoted at 18 so that it can be rocked back and forth to move the blade 17 towards and away from each of predetermined pressers. The shank 17b extends both between N and S poles of a two-limbed magnet 19 and also through an associated solenoid winding 20. Passage of current in the appropriate direction through the said winding causes the shank 17b (the core of the solenoid) to be moved on to the relevant pole 19a of the twolimbed magnet 19 suchwise as to impart to the vibrator blade 17 a definite operative strike, i.e. inwardly to strike a presser 12 off the permanent magnet 15. A reverse stroke of the blade 17 to move it on to the opposite pole 19b of the magnet 19 can be effected either by associated spring means or by passing through the device a pulse of current of opposite polarity. The actual form and operation of the vibrator may, however, vary. In the specific example illustrated, the underside of the blade 17 is, as seen in FIG. 1, supported upon a bracket 21 attached to the magnet 19, whilst the latter is itself attached to and supported by a bracket 22 secured to the underside of the cambox support plate 11. As to the permanent magnet 15, this is also supported from the plate 11 through the medium of a bracket 23. The vibrator device, regarded as a whole, is located immediately below the relevant end of the permanent magnet 15, whereas the placer cam 14 is located immediately above and for the most part in advance of said permanent magnet (compare FIGS. 3 and 4).

In any event, the periodicity of the current pulses applied to the vibrator device 16 may be determined by an impulse timer arranged to run at a speed related to that of the rotary needle cylinder 1 equipped with the jacks 4 and the rocking pressers 12. In the case of a multi-feed circular knitting machine, patterning means may be provided at each feed.

The programming means for controlling the vibrator devices 16 include an electronic control box 24 of any appropriate character from which extends wiring W connected to the solenoids 20. The said means also include a hollow drum 26 adapted to be progressively driven at a speed related to, or in time with, the rotary motion of the needle cylinder 1. In the drum are formed complete axially extending rows of holes 26a equally spaced apart circumferentially. Over the drum 26 is passed a strip or band of film 27 having therein or thereon at 27a dispositions of holes or light-transmitting spots. Within the drum 26 is accommodated a light source 28, whereas on the outside of the drum, and in line with the uniformly spaced circumferential series of holes 26a therein, is a row of photo-electric cells 29. Accordingly whenever during progressive movements of the film 27, holes or light-transmitting spots 27a register with holes 26a in the drum 26, beams of light will fall upon predetermined ones of the photo-electric cells 29 suchwise as to produce the electrical signals or impulses necessary to control the vibra tors 16. There are as many cells 29 as there are feeds in the machine.

The arangement of the herein described means is such that immediately in advance of a jack clearing cam 8, the upper ends 12a of all of the rocking pressers 12 are first acted upon seriatim by the placer cam 14 and moved outwardly thereby. In this way, these ends 12a are placed on to and held by the permanent magnet 15 thereby holding in the lower ends 12b of the pressers to ensure that the extensions 4c of the corresponding jacks 4 are also pressed in to retract their butts 4d clear of the cam 8. The influence of the permanent magnet 15, however, is countermanded in respect of predetermined ones of the pressers 12 by imparting to the vibrator device 16 at the relevant instants of time, dictated by the programming means, pulses which cause the blade 17 of the vibrator to forcibly strike the upper ends 12a of the said predetermined pressers inwardly and so release them from the magnet 15. The result of this is to swing the lower ends 12b of the said predetennined pressers outwardly, thereby releasing the previously pressed in jack extensions 40 outwardly to position their butts 4d in the path of the clearing cam 8. Consequently, un-selected needles corresponding to those jacks whose extensions 4 remain pressed in until their butts 4d travel behind and clear of the cam 8 remain retracted, whereas selected needles corresponding to the remaining jacks are advanced by these jacks as they in turn are acted upon and raised by the clearing cam 8.

We claim:

1. A knitting machine comprising a needle bed formed with grooves; individually operable needles in said grooves; needle-advancing jacks in the same grooves as the needles, each of said jacks being furnished with a depending extension having thereon a butt; a jack advancing cam for action upon said butts; and selectively operable means acting on the said extensions of predetermined jacks to move their butts into the needle bed so that these butts fail to be acted upon by the jack advancing cam as a consequence of which the corresponding needles will not be advanced, said jack extensions being also positionable in outward positions wherein their butts protrude from the needle bed so as to be in the path of the jack advancing cam whereby said jacks and needles are advanced; wherein said selectively operable means includes individual rocking pressers which are mounted in front of the jack extensions and are fulcrumed intermediate their opposite ends so that whenever the appropriate ends thereof are rocked outwardly their opposite ends swing inwardly to press in the jack extensions, and vice versa; placer means in advance of the jack advancing cam for action upon the said appropriate ends of the rocking pressers for the purpose of swinging all of these ends outwardly seriatim; means temporarily holding the last mentioned presser ends in their outwardly swung positions; a vibrator device adapted to be pulsed to force predetermined ones of the pressers from the said presser-holding means; there being, with the machine in operation, relative lateral movement between the needle bed and the aforementioned placer means, presser-holding means and vibrator devices; and programming means for so controlling pulses to the vibrator device that a pulse is imparted to the latter each time it is in line with a presser requiring to be released from the presser-holding means.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the placer means consists of a cam, at least a portion of which is located in advance of the presser-holding means, behind the relevant ends of the rocking pressers, said cam being so contoured as to act on and push these ends outwardly seriatim.

3. A knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the presser-holding means consists of a permanent magnet of a strength such that its influence over a rocking presser can be broken by virtue of that presser being struck by the vibrator device.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 1, which includes an electro-magnetic vibrator device.

5. A knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator device comprises, in combination, a blade having a nose for contact with the relevant end of a rocking presser and a shank which is pivoted so that it can be rocked back and forth to move the blade towards and away from each of predetermined ones of the rocking pressers; a magnet having opposed spaced poles between which the shank of said blade extends; a solenoid winding which is associated with said magnet and through which the said shank also extends, and wiring serving to conduct current to the winding, whereby the passage of current in the appropriate direction through said winding causes the shank to be moved on to a pole of the magnet suchwise as to impart an operative stroke to the vibrator blade.

6. A knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein there is provided for the rocking pressers a common fulcrum component having formed in an inner face thereof a recess of part-circular cross-section in which are engaged complementary fulcra formed on the outer edges of the pressers.

7. A circular knitting machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the placer means, presser-holding means and vibrator device are appropriately positioned relatively to a needle cylinder so that there is relative movement laterally between the rocking pressers and the said placer means, presser-holding means and vibrator device, the machine including means potentially capable of imparting a pulse to the vibrator device each time a presser is in alignment therewith, but the programming means being adapted to exercise such control over the pulsing of the vibrator device that predetermined ones only of the pressers are struck by the said device and released from the presser-holding means.

8. A circular knitting machine according to claim 7, which has a multiplicity of feeds and wherein a jack advancing cam, placer means, presser-holding means and a vibrator device are provided in advance of each feed.

9. A multi-feed circular knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder formed with axially extending grooves; individually operable needles in said grooves; needle-raising jacks beneath and in the same grooves as the needles, each of said jacks being furnished with a depending extension having thereon a butt; a stationary cam box surrounding the rotary needle cylinder and having therein cams for operating said needles; a support plate for the said cam box; a jack raising cam in advance of each feed for action upon the said butts, and selectively operable means acting on the said extensions of predetermined jacks at the feeds to move their butts into the needle cylinder so that these butts fail to be acted upon by the jack raising cam at the respective feeds as a consequence of which the corresponding needles will not be raised, said jack extensions being also positionable in outward positions wherein their butts protrude from the cylinder so as to be in the path of the jack raising cam at the respective feeds whereby said jacks and corresponding needles are raised; wherein said selectively operable means includes individual rocking pressers which are mounted in front of the jack extensions and are fulcrumed intermediate their upper and lower ends so that whenever the said upper ends are rocked outwardly their lower ends swing inwardly to press in the jack extensions, and vice versa; in advance of each feed a placer cam which is located behind the upper ends of the pressers and is so contoured as to act on and push these ends outwardly seriatim; a permanent magnet located adjacent to each placer cam for temporarily holding the said upper ends of the pressers in their outwardly swung positions; an electro-magnetic vibrator device in advance of each feed which device is adapted to be pulsed to strike and release predetermined ones of the pressers 7 from the permanent magnet, and programming means so. controlling pulses to the vibrator devices that a pulse is imparted to thevibrator, device in advance of each feed each time said device is in line with a presser requiring to be released from the relevant permanent magnet.

10. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 9, wherein the placer earns, the permanent magnets and the vibrator devices are all supported from the stationary cambox support plate, the placer cam in association with each feed being located above and for the most part in advance of the corresponding permanent magnet and the corresponding vibrator device being located below the relevant end of said magnet.

11. A multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 9, wherein the programming means comprise an electronic control box connected by wiring with the electro-rnagnetic vibrator devices; a row of light sensitive devices which correspond in number with the number of feeds and are adapted, when energised, to produce signals influencing the said vibrator devices; a hollow drum which is adapted to be progressively driven in time with the rotary motion of the needle cylinder and has formed therein complete axially extending rows of holes, the rows being equally spaced apart circumferentially and the holes in each row being in line with the light-sensitive devices; a light source Within the drum; and, passed over the drum, a strip of film having dispositions of lighttransmitting points whereby whenever, during progressive movements of the film, light-transmitting points register with holes in the drum, light beams will fall on predetermined ones of the light-sensitive devices.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,722,989 8/1929 Ames 66-36 1,873,502 8/1932 Steinmuller 66-36 3,229,482 1/1966 Farmer 6650 3,262,285 7/1966 Beguin et a1. 6650 3,283,541 11/1966 De Cerjat 66-50 3,449,928 6/1969 Schmidt et a1. 66--50 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,449,339 7/1966 France.

1,546,919 lO/l968 France.

433,566 9/ 1967 Switzerland.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

